The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-02-02
A MURDEROUS MOTHER
She Slaughters Five of Her Eight
Children.
And Finishes Her Awful Work By
Committing Suicide.

The mos: appalling crime ever known IN
the history of Cleveland, Ohio, was commit
ted at an early hour the other morning on
Independence street, near Beryle Park. The
murderer was Tonia Cabalek, wife Of Na"lar
Cabales, carpenter, and the victims were
their five younger children. At o'clock
AN. Cabalei started for work, accompanied
by his eldest son, Albert, aged nineteen.
Soon after their departure Mr.. Cabalek sent
two sons, Henry aud George, aged fifteen and
twelve years, to O grocery half mile distant
to make some purchases. There were five
other children, James, aged ten: Antoihctle
r'Tonia'l ci cht: Mamie six, Willie four aud
the baby three mouths old As soon as
the elder boys were out of tho hous. Mrs.
C1balek fastened tue doors, aud taking
pair of sharp-bladed shears. nine lncseS long,
comm need the terrible slaughter OF her in.
nocent children. She first attacked james,
the elder of the five, stabbed him repeatedly
in the breast and bowels, paying no attention
t. his frantic, pleading cries, until he sank
uncons lou; on the floor. Then, like fury
nladdened with the sight of blood, she
rushel into an alioiuing room, where
Tonia aud Mamie were still in bed, and
plunged the reeking blades OF her weapon
time and again into their tender flesh. Her
wounds, to pierce their hearts and then dis
emaowel them in every case. Having made
sure that Tonia and Mamie were d al, the
frantic woman returned to the sitting room,
where the two youngest were still sleeping
in a trundle bed. an | hacked anl carvel
them in manner almost Incredible and be-
yond description.
the maddened woman now looked about for
the meaus Of self-destruction. With the
bloody shears she cut down q clothes line in
an upper chamber, carried it into the base
ment and ia ,tenel one end TO tho ceiling.
Then she rolled in a er-barre, climbed
uo en- it, fastened the rope securely about
her neck and kicked the barrel from under
her feet The drop and the smallness OF the
rope cut her throat almost from ear to ear,
the blood running in torrents down her gar
mentS onto the floor.
When tn, boys returned from the grocery
they found the doors securely fastened, and,
in great alarm, ran to acquaiut their father
and elder brother with the facts. Albert
reached the house first, and, with a pro-
himself against the door and burst 1t open:
His father followed q moment later. and
the sight that met Their eyes almost
made them insane with grief. Scattered
about on tue beds and on the floor were the
PROSTATE bodies of four of the children, each
one cut and slashed in a dozen different
places, swimming in blood, which literally
covered the floor, while at one side stood the
boy James, trying to dress himself, with
the blood pouring from a dozen wounds
aud bis bowels protruding from frightIul
cash across the abdomen Tonia, the eldest
girl was also alive, but unconscious, and
never recovered sensibility. BY this time
neighbors began to arrive. Tho police anu
physicians we're summoned, and the two llv.
dc
each forbade the hope of recovery.
were carel for as well as the excitement
and hurry allowed. Up to this time it
was not known that Mrs. Cabalek had con-
cluded her atrocous work with self-destruc-
ton, but a search of the dark basement COM
peted the horror by the discovery OF her
hanging body. Very little doubt is enter
tanned that Mrs. Gabalek was insane. Her
husband, and more especially her eldest son.
have noticed pccularties in her manner
since the birth of her last child.
Cubalek is an industrious workman who
earns 50. 25 day, and with the assistance OF
his SON was able to give his family every
reasonable comfort He is forty years OF
age and his wife was thirty-six. Shc was q
handsome woman and of the best reputation.
They came from Bohemia to this country I'M
mediat.ly after their marriage, twenty years
ago, and have lived in Cleveland most of the
time. Their home is a comfortable brick
dwelling and, although very plainly fur
nished, gave evidence of the husbands thrift
and the wife's faithful care The family were
looked upon rs rather in advance of most of
their compatriots. of whom nearly ten
thousand live in that part Of the city. The
husband is mentally paralyzed by the mis-
fortune that has come so suddenly and with
such crushing weight unon him, aud
it is doubted if he will ever fully
recover from the shock The eldest
son, who idolized bis mother, is almost a ma
niac in his grief, and a watch has to he kept
up him. So far as can be discovered there
was absolutely no motive for the crime, the
relations of the family having always been
kindly to each other